Mosques

As a public place of worship for Muslims, the mosque has a special importance - one reason why governments in the Middle East, North Africa and the Far East have chosen to depict mosques on their postage stamps. Another is that these places of worship are often historically valuable, architecturally striking and esthetically beautiful.

From Malaysia to Morocco, the typical mosque has the same basic form. Exteriors are often rectangular in outline with interiors consisting of a central, open court surrounded by a cloister or walkway covered by a roof atop rows of pillars. A dome often covers the mosque's central court. The wall facing the Ka'ba in Mecca, the holy city of Islam in Saudi Arabia, contains a prayer niche, or mihrab, towards which worshipers face when they pray. Rising above most mosques - vertical extensions of them - are one or more minarets from which muezzins call the faithful to prayer five times a day.

Most mosques have three features in common: fountains or faucets used by Muslims to wash before prayer, space for worshipers to pray and a pulpit, or minbar, from which a learned member of the Muslim community gives the Friday sermon. But there are variations on the basic design, and the numerous postage stamps issued by Muslim countries throughout the world show graphically how extensive these variations can be.

Story about a mosque built by two Suaid Aramco employees.  Beautiful images.

 http://ipac.kacst.edu.sa/eDoc/eBook/4105.pdf

Daily Living

Most days begin at 4:15 AM...My cousin Barbie in Austin rises at this time and I always thought she was highly disciplined but also WHACKED to get up this early!  But now I am forever bonded with her because we both are getting up the same time of the morning.

Why 4:15 you might ask....well I have to be at work at 6:30 AM so...

I live in Steinke Hall http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6553771c and I walk to gym, work out on elliptical, weights and stretching...then shower and eat breakfast.

Boom-walking 20 minutes to work and there you have it.

I eat lunch by 11am. Work is over at 4PM and I am asleep by 8 or 8:30 PM.

One aspect of work I really enjoy is how international the population is here. I remember when I consulted in London for Dell EMEA it was similar.  I have colleagues from South Africa, Lebanon, Ireland, Venezuela, Canada, Bahrain, France, Britain, Houston, Austin (there are tons of Texans here).

Many of the service people are from the Philippines or India.

So Sunday (which is the first day of the work week here) I will meet my 25 participants who I will coach and teach for 8 weeks. Exciting!  The first few days the content is really dense and mostly my responsibility. I am partnered with a Geologist and a Petroleum Engineer who will lead the student through the simulation to find oil. I hear it is very challenging.  Many of the students at first question why they need to attend this 8 weeks since they just graduated and know so much already :) but once they get into the simulation (I hear) they get the gaps they have between academic preparation and real world business applications. 

What I am looking forward to is the one on one coaching relationship I will develop with each student.

OK one more post on the Mosques here and then nighty night.

These are a few of my favorite things...

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,

"You owe me."

Look what happens with love like that.

It lights up the sky.” 

― Rumi

For Sara Stevenson.  After 30 plus years of friendship we became even better friends this year.  The girl has a passionate and just heart.  I loved seeing her fall deeply in love with the orphans in India.  She is a voice for children, educators, and a more just world...more important than all this is the fact I can be vulnerable with her and she is a compassionate friend.  Thank you Sara!

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” 

― Rumi

Teale!  She's got the travel fever and she grabs life by the roots and pulls!  

I appreciate your adventures, your many friend of many years and gusto for living!

I miss you Teale 8000 miles away from my baby :(.I have never been 8000 miles away from Teale or David!

I am planning some great travel adventures for she and I all the way across the world!

LOVE YOU!

“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” 

― Rumi

For Robin and Susan.  Robin is the reason I am here.  She and Susan are focused on healing Susan's cancer--- together.  You both are in my thoughts often.  Sending you the beauty and life force present in this painting!

“I was dead, then alive.

Weeping, then laughing.

The power of love came into me,

and I became fierce like a lion,

then tender like the evening star.” 

― Rumi

This summer I escaped to Seattle to be with life long friends.  I was fracking and coming thorough a major life change.  These wonderful women are the galaxy I live in.  Full of love and reassurance. They have known me Bridget---since I was 5, Deb and Kathy since I was 20.  They remind of what is right in the world, my life and restore me to my original lustre.

Beautiful Nataliaaaa

 Bridget and her chinese long beans

Ally who reminded me I was a lioness...Julia and Deb who remind me to smell the lilies (tiger)

...

Kathy-makes me laugh HARD and inspires me artistically

The price is right

OK People-

Let's do some cost of living education.

I am going to include some photos of items you can buy here is SA
and you can send me an email with your best guess of the cost.

The person who guesses closet to the cost will receive a gift from my trip to Barcelona.

I am trusting you NOT to google prices in Saudi Arabia.

Who knew-Driscoll Raspberries-but not organic:(

Herring? I know right?  My mom was German and we always had herring growing up so I thought I would give it a try :)

Lifesaver-----bottled water. This is a small bottle.

Yummmmmm. My breakfast most mornings/

OK-I have heard people are having trouble signing up for the RSS notices so I will send out an email to everyone  every time I do a new blog AND typical Google they want you to register to leave comments.  Please email me your answers at kerry@momentumleadership.com if you cannot leave your answers on the blog.

Change Rooms In Your Mind for A Day-Hafiz

I have long loved the Persian poet Hafiz.

Born in the early 1400's his poems have been updated but hold an ancient mystery and wise charm.

SHEMSUDDIN MAHOMMAD, better known by his poetical surname of Hafiz, was born in Shiraz in the early part of the fourteenth century.[1] His names, being interpreted, signify the Sun of the Faith, the Praiseworthy, and One who can recite the Koran; he is further known to his compatriots under the titles of the Tongue of the Hidden and the Interpreter of Secrets. The better part of his life was spent in Shiraz, and he died in that city towards the close of the century. The exact date either of his birth or of his death is unknown. He fell upon turbulent times. His delicate love-songs were chanted to the rude accompaniment of the clash of arms, and his dreams must have been interrupted often enough by the nip of famine in a beleaguered town, the inrush of conquerors, and the flight of the defeated.

All the Hemispheres

Leave the familiar for a while.

Let your senses and bodies stretch out

Like a welcomed season

Onto the meadows and shores and hills.

Open up to the Roof.

Make a new water-mark on your excitement

And love.

Like a blooming night flower,

Bestow your vital fragrance of happiness

And giving

Upon our intimate assembly.

Change rooms in your mind for a day.

All the hemispheres in existence

Lie beside an equator

In your heart.

Greet Yourself

In your thousand other forms

As you mount the hidden tide and travel

Back home.

All the hemispheres in heaven

Are sitting around a fire

Chatting

While stitching themselves together

Into the Great Circle inside of

You.

 From: 'The Subject Tonight is Love' 

Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Greet Yourself

In your thousand other forms

As you mount the hidden tide and travel

Back home.

These words really strike at my heart.  Being here I am glimpsing aspects of myself-my thousand other forms-which are not visible in the comfort of my homeland.

I get to see time and again...what I am made of.  

How I manage my fears, loneliness, frustration as I mount the hidden tide and travel Back Home...to my core.

I believe in the goodness of humanity.

I know people everywhere want to help others in need-including me.

I have seen human curiosity bridge and ultimately defeat fear.

I carry with me, in my cells love, love, love from SUCH great friends and family-it is my immune system and my strength.

Life is good and I am blessed.

If you want to sign up and receive an email for this blog each time I post anew...go to the bottom of the page and sign up for email.

Women Wrapped

Of course coming here- everyone including myself mention Saudi women.

The dress, the inability to drive, the perceived oppression.

I will have to say Saudi culture seems really chill and relaxed to me in terms of personality.  A very quiet culture- eateries and public places are exceptionally quiet compared to the U.S. and with one exception--When Saudi's are debating opinions, are mad or frustrated, then they become really animated and remind me of aggressive yelling New Yorkers!

The woman are exceptionally close to each other and stay self segregated. At my training Friday, only one Saudi woman participant chose to sit with males. Six or so other women sat together at one table.

There are some more western dressing Saudi women in the workplace but they are more difficult to recognize because they "fit it" vs. the many of the Muslim women in the business setting who wear the long black robe-abaya with leggings down to their feet not even the ankle skin shows. They also wear the hijab head scarf. 

http://twentytwowords.com/2011/06/06/not-all-headscarves-are-burkas-7-types-of-muslim-headwear-for-women/  

But not many wear the burka with just the eyes showing. In the lobby of my “hall” or hotel I just saw a women with a black sheer scarf over her head/face and her sunglasses over that scarf.

I know this sounds odd, but the women seem accepting.  

There is a fine dust that coats everything here.  So I can really see the real practicality of wearing a scarf over your nose when you are outside.  I have the dust sniffles-myself.

Tomorrow I will take the mercedes luxury bus to the mall and buy my abaya. When I am out of the Aramco village I must wear an abyaya. I am finding the lightest fabric possible :). And on the same trip I am going to Ikea to get a soft rug for my bathroom and some color for my room. 

If you want to sign up and receive an email for this blog each time I post anew...go to the bottom of the page and sign up for email.